The following was taken from the book TWO CENTURIES IN WARWICK.

“Warwick in History” – The following was taken from the book TWO CENTURIES IN WARWICK.

In the spring of 1730, David McCamly and his wife, recently od Ireland, began clearing a farm in what they called Jockey Hollow, at a place now named New Milford. He later built a dam and a flour mill on Wawayanda Creek.

Meanwhile, a boom was developing in Bellvale. Daniel Burt’s pioneering spirit built a gristmill which was joined in time by a woolen mill, a sawmill, and another gristmill. In the 1820’s Joseph Brooks’ carding and spinning business was expanded into cloth manufacturing, and a family of Forshees were weaving carpets and bed coverlets. One Lewis Hanes was running a pottery. Over in Florida, Wood and Taylor established themselves as cabinetmakers.

But it was always farming that made Warwick Valley rich; and farming was the base of Warwick’s biggest and most enduring industry.